Patek Philippe, a luxury Swiss clock and watch manufacturer, was founded in 1839 by Antoni Patek and Adrien Philippe. Patek Philippe is one of the oldest watch manufacturers in the world, having continuously produced timepieces since they were first founded. They are considered to be among the most prestigious watch makers, and have delivered some of the most expensive watches of all time. Polish-born watchmaker Antoni Patek began making watches in the mid-nineteenth century, initially with a Czech partner. However, when this partnership did not work out he was joined by Adrien Philippe and the two went into business together.
Philippe was an inventor of the keyless winding mechanism, an intervention that changed watch making in this period. In 1851, Queen Victoria purchased a keyless watch at the Great Exhibition in London, it was embellished with rose-cut diamonds. The Queen also had a wearable timepiece from Patek Philippe, establishing the company as truly prestigious. Over the years, the company has made many innovations and improvements to watchmaking the world over, securing its position as one of the greatest watch manufacturers of all time.
According to Sotheby's, Patek Philippe's longevity in the field has contributed to the desirability of and demand for their pieces. Patek Philippe watches that end up at the auction house can attract bids in the millions. Below we list some of the most expensive Patek Philippe watches to have been sold at the renowned auction house.
Patek Philippe 'Henry Graves Jr' Supercomplication: $24 million
This gorgeous gold timepiece is incredibly rare. The watch was made completely by hand over seven years, beginning in 1925. It contains 24 complications (that is, anything that goes beyond simply displaying the time), including a double dial, Westminster chimes, grande and petite sonnerie, split-seconds chronograph, perpetual calendar, moon phases, and a celestial chart for the night sky of New York City. The watch was commissioned for the banker Henry Graves Jr, who was an avid collector of art and watches, and this timepiece truly combines these two passions. The watch was held on display in several museums before it came up for auction at Sotheby's, where it sold for a record-breaking 24 million USD. Incredibly, although the watch had not been serviced in forty years, it was still in perfect working condition.
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Patek Philippe 'Prince Tewfik' Pink on Pink 1518: $9.6 million
This watch was purchased by Prince Tewfik Adil Tousson of Egypt in 1951, just a year prior to the 1952 revolution. This incredibly elegant and stylish watch was made in 1952 and sadly spent much of its life in a safety deposit box until its sale at Sotheby's in 2021. The watch features a tasteful brown leather strap and a dusky pink time face with several complications. Luckily, the Prince saved everything that came with the watch, including its Operating Instructions and box, meaning that this is the only iteration of the 1518 watch to come with its original documentation and certificate of origin.
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Patek Philippe Reference 6300G-010 'Grandmaster Chime': $5.4 million
This watch is a far more recent offering from Patek Philippe. It was made in 2014 in celebration of Patek Philippe's 175th anniversary. It was later introduced into the permanent collection in 2016. The watch offers 20 complications, making it a wonderful feat of watchmaking engineering. In its listing with Sotheby's, we learn that it is made of white gold, has five chiming modes, a reversible case, two independent dials, an alarm feature, and a perpetual calendar. The watch that sold at Sotheby's for $5.4 million was previously owned by actor Sylvester Stallone, whose name was engraved on the original box.
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Patek Philippe Reference 1518 in Pink Gold: $3.9 million
This gorgeous timepiece is in the same family as that owned by Prince Tewfik – the iconic 1518. Patek and Philippe produced only 281 of these watches, and among those 281 this particular watch is one of only 58 to have been made in pink gold with a matching pink dial. According to Sotheby's, this watch is also one of the seven watches to have Patek Philippe & Co on the dial, as they dropped the ‘& Co’ halfway through production of this particular model. Unbelievably, this watch was hidden in a drawer for over thirty years meaning it was previously unknown, a factor which drove up its price at auction.
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Patek Philippe Nautilus Reference 5711: $2.6 million
Back in 1851, Tiffany & Co, the renowned US jewellers, began carrying Patek Philippe watches in the United States – they were the first retailers to do so. Sotheby's note that in 2021, to mark the 170th anniversary of the relationship between the two companies, Patek Philippe released a small number of watches featuring a Tiffany Blue dial with an etching commemorating the longstanding ties between the two companies on the back. The watch itself is a bright silver, showcasing the vibrant Tiffany Blue, and a modern design.
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Patek Philippe Reference 5217: $2.3 million
This elegant black and silver watch is one of the brand's more recent models. Sotheby's writes that it features a highly desirable super complication called the minute repeater, which allows the wearer to sound the time down to a minute with three different chimes. This watch was specially produced for a number of clients and comes with a platinum case, a diamond bezel, and alligator bracelet. There are few of these watches remaining in the world which makes them very highly sought after and that is reflected in the price tag at auction.
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Patek Philippe 'Sky Moon' Tourbillon 988, Reference 5002: $1.6 million
This watch features a beautiful and intricate cream coloured face with a number of complications. The experts at Sotheby's write that this watch includes minute repeating to cathedral gongs, retrograde date, sky chart, moon phases, orbit display, and sidereal time. On one side there is an embossed guilloche pattern of moon phases. This watch is ultra special as it is only produced twice a year for Patek Philippe clients who must be interviewed for a place on the waiting list.
If you are looking for prestige, elegance, and products that have stood the test of time then Patek Philippe might just be the brand for you. And, if you ever feel like selling one of these timepieces you can be sure that it will fetch a grand price.
